A Different Journey
by WhatsYourMile
Summary: What happens when Blue must choose to continue his journey as a Trainer after a horrifying event. Pokemon can die, love can happen, and you can't be a competitor in the Pokemon League until you are 15. Rated T for Language. OldRivalShipping will happen later on.
1. Chapter 1

***Before you read, know that I do not own pokemon, or have any right affiliated with pokemon.

-This story is also based around one of the Nuzlocke rules, that a pokemon dies if it faints. Most battles in this story will be regulated and pokemon will not die, but wild battles, or battles from organizations may lead to death of a pokemon. This, along with some strong language, is why this particular story is rated M. Also know this story may involve some OldRivalShipping (Blue in this story is the male, and Green is the female, like in the American manga and such), which may be fleshed out as it progresses. This story well derive some elements from the manga, and from the game. Slightly from the anime, but most elements will be original or modified work of my own. With that, enjoy.-

*Exposition Start*

Blue Oak was a little over 3 months older than his two childhood friends and rivals, Red and Green, who were 4 days apart themselves, Green being the youngest. As such, he got his official trainer license and pokedex before them, and started his journey at the age of 15, the new age a trainer must meet to be allowed to enter a league. He did not pick a starter, for he had an Eevee he has raised from an egg, the only thing he had to remember his parents by. So Blue set out on his journey, catching some pokemon here and there, being frustrated by a locked gym door in Viridian city. Next he fought through Viridian Forest, thus arriving in Pewter city. Using his caught pokemon alongside Eevee, he beat Brock and continued his journey. He made his way, slowly, through , then once again beating the gym leader, Misty this time. Saffron city, being closed down, he made his way towards the town of Vermillion city. It was here he fought the battle hardened . It was his closest match ever, and it had came down to his Eevee against Surge's Raichu. Raichu badly injured the Eevee, almost killing it, and it had a permanent ailment which made it far too dangerous for it to battle. Due to his strong connection with his Eevee, Blue chose to quit his journey and return home. He released all of his pokemon, only keeping Eevee.

*Exposition End*

Blue and Eevee stood at the small path leading into Pallet Town, anxious of what they would deal with once people, mainly their friends, heard of his decision. He sneakily darted to his house, where he found his sister Daisy.

"Hey Daisy, can you not tell anyone I'm back, not even gramps?"

"I suppose, but he will notice tonight once he comes home from the lab."

Blue let out a sigh and a slight smile as him and Eevee walked upstairs, and he got on his laptop. Green appeared to also be online, so he sent a casual 'What's up?' message to her. He forgot that you can check people's locations from where they sent a particular message, so Green was able to check where he was, and her being curious to how far he had traveled, she did check. Within 2 minutes she was at his door, then in his room once Daisy let her in.

"Blue!" Her voice was filled with excitement. They had not seen each other for about two and a half months.

"Oh! Hey Green." His reply sounded oddly somber, Green had never heard him speak with such a grim tone.

"I see Eevee, but where are your other Pokemon? Surely you have caught some." It was a cautious question, not prying but obviously wanting information.

"I released them all, my journey is over."

"What? Blue, you love battling and pokemon and everything to do with them. Why would you quit?

"It wasn't fun." Blue said it blankly, as if it was obvious.

"Don't you dare, Blue. I know you, and I know that that is a lie. Tell me the truth. Please." It wasn't begging, or pleading. It was more intense protectiveness over her childhood friend. She could tell something wasn't right.

"Eevee was hurt, and can not battle anymore. Ever. He could die. But he loves battling so much, I couldn't force him to the sidelines for my own selfish need for adventure."  
"That is bullshit Blue. Eevee loves being with you, he would of had fun just traveling. Yes, it would've been hard for him at first, but being with you, such a great trainer, he would've adjusted and adapted." With that, she stormed out of Blue's room, in tears. BLue felt terrible, but because he made her cry, not because of his decision. He decided he would go see his grandpa to see if Eevee could ever do anything again, not just battling. He let Eevee climb onto his shoulder, something it had done since it was a baby. Daisy looked sad, she must of heard the argument, but she decided not to say so. Blue gave a thankful nod and headed outside. He quickly made his way to the lab before anyone else could stop and question him. Blue, arriving at the door, suddenly was full of quilt. He had given up everything he always dreamed of, and Eevee would of been able to do other things, and experience the journey alongside him. Maybe Green was right. No matter, he chose to own up to his decision and opened the lab door. He saw his grandpa at his desk, and he began slowly striding towards him, but then the door to the lab opened again.

"You fucking prick. You go and throw everything away, not even thinking of the consequences, or what may happen later. You gave up before you got to the damn ring. Blue, you don't deserve the title of Pokemon trainer." Red had said all of this with so much disdain in his voice that Blue actually winced. Eevee hopped to the floor and bared his teeth towards Red.

"Don't attack me Eevee, you might die." Red was furious, and he had lost his filter.

"Red, please, calm down and let's talk about this," Professor Oak butted in, trying to deescalate the situation.

"No, your grandson, 'The Great Blue, Conquerer of the Kanto Region', as he always called himself before he left, quit. He fucking quit Professor, then he returns home and he makes Green cry. She just wanted to help her friend, and he acts like a prick. He only cares about himself." Oak takes this in, then turns to Blue.

"Is this true? Did you quit?" It was a serious question, expecting an answer.

"Yeah gramps, I did. Eevee sustained a bad attack and the doctor said he couldn't ever battle again, so I lost hope, not wanting to force Eevee to the sidelines for the rest of his life, and gave up." Blue was crying, he didn't want to hurt anyone, or disappoint his friends. As he covered his face and cried, Green hugged him.

"Just restart Blue. Your grandpa still has the three starters, just pick yours and start again. Learn from this. Don't beat yourself up." She gave a couple glances to the professor, and he went to a machine that held three pokeballs.

"Blue, if you want to try again, please pick one."

"Alright gramps," Blue said between the sniffles. "I want Bulbasaur, since Green's favorite is Squirtle and Red's is Charmander, I'll have Bulbasaur." He gave a sincere look to his two, hopefully still, friends. Professor Oak handed him the pokeball and wished him luck in the Kanto League.

"Nah gramps, I'm going to Johto this time. Eevee and I need a change."  
-

Thank you guys for taking the time to read my story, any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Please be nice and constructive in your feedback. I plan on continuing this story as is, but any requests will be considered. Questions will always be answered at the beginning of the next chapter. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own pokemon, nor do I own any rights affiliated with pokemon. With that said, please -enjoy-**

It has been 2 and a half months since Blue left Kanto for Johto. Four months since he had talked to Red, or Green. He did not regret coming to Johto, not in the slightest. Bulbasaur was growing stronger every day, and Eevee was able to give her strategies on battling with disadvantages and against stronger opponents. Bulbasaur trusted him, and that was what Blue cared about. He hadn't actually caught any other Pokemon, he was trying to learn Bulbasaurs likes and dislikes, and his strengths and weaknesses, everything about him. They had become a real team, and Eevee was like the assistant coach during training. Blue had chosen to travel through unmarked paths and over small mountains to get to Johto, instead of take a plane or a boat. Due to this decision, he and his two Pokemon had grown that much closer, and once arriving in Johto, he decided that after some rest they would try to capture another pokemon.

"Let's get some good sleep guys," Blue whispered to his Pokemon. His new journey to conquer the Johto League would officially begin tomorrow. And this time he wouldn't give up.

"Time to get up," Blue said as he shook his two pokemon. "I'm going to put the both of you in your pokeballs, we don't know how aggressive these wild pokemon may be, so for now that is how we travel. It won't be like that long though, I promise." Blue hated to force his Pokemon to travel in pokeballs, but he didn't want to risk anything. Being right outside of Violet City, many different pokemon recided in the area. After fighting many pokemon to get used to their behaviors, Blue spotted a Mareep.

"Hey Bulbasaur, it's a Mareep!" He had not known how he would beat Falkner, but an Electric-Type would be perfect. "Let's do this!" Blue works hard to make call signs for his Pokemon's moves so that his opponent does not know what attack he is doing, and by the time they figure it out, they lose.

"Bulbasaur, hit it with A!"

"Great! Now try a C!"

"It's gotta be close. Just do another A!" And with that, the Mareep gave a feeble cry and fell over, panting. Blue threw the pokeball, and after only 2 shakes Mareep had given in and Blue caught it. He gave Bulbasaur a pat on the head and returned him, then hurries back to the Pokemon Center to heal Mareep. After a quick heal, for both Bulbasaur and Mareep, Blue went to his room to let everyone meet.

"Alright guys, this is Mareep, and she is the newest member of our team. Mareep, this here is Eevee, and you've already met Bulbasaur," Blue said with a chuckle. All the Pokemon greeted each other, and were being friendly. "Guys, I'm going to look around town. I'm locking the door, stay quiet and be nice to each other." With that, Blue left his Pokemon to get to know each other while he explored the town. Blue walked up the road near the school. Through the windows he could see kids in class. It looked like 12-14 year olds, kids learning about all the regions and the cultures before becoming a trainer and starting a journey like him. He decided he would surprise his Pokemon by buying them a snack from the Poke Mart. On the way, he passed by the gym, and standing at the front door was a boy about his age.

"Hey," Blue called out, "are you going to challenge the gym leader?"

"Yeah, but Falkner only allows people who have cleared Sprout Tower, back near the rear of town, to challenge him, and it's closed down until tomorrow. I just started my journey, and I wanted to get my first gym battle over with so I don't have to be nervous."

Blue was shocked. Was this how giddy he had been? "What's your name?"

"Ethan, what's yours?"

"I'm Blue. Now Ethan, I started my journey in Kanto before I came here, but my main Pokemon, my favorite, got messed up bad, almost died actually. So I quit, and then came here to redeem myself. What I'm trying to say is, I got complacent, and I messed up. You always have to stay cautious, watch everything, and know that it is okay to bow out of a battle. A temporary amount of embarrassment is nothing compared to how you'll feel if you are basically the reason your pokemon is injured." Ethan never gave a reply, but he did nod and walk away silently, thinking to himself.

"Hey Blue, I will battle you soon, I don't know when, but soon. Be ready." And with that, Ethan left. Blue had a rival in this region already, which excited him. But back to the task at hand, he wanted to get those snacks.

"Yes, three Pokemon snacks please. One normal-type, one grass-type, and one electric-type." Blue paid for the goods, and with a "thank you", he headed back to the Pokecenter. He got to his door and put his ear up to the door. It seemed oddly quiet, like an empty room would sound. Blue quickly fished the key out and and unlocked the door. He still slowly opened it, he didn't want to make too much noise, it was already pretty late. What he found was his three Pokemon cuddled up to each other in a ball, all of them smiling. Blue, very quietly, snuck to his bed and slipped in. He very peacefully drifted to sleep, for tomorrow was a training day.

The next day, Blue asked if all of his Pokemon wanted to come to watch Mareep train, or stay here. After a quick unanimous decision, he put them all in their pokeballs and made his way to the outskirts of town.

"Alright, Mareep, I train differently. First, I start you on trees or rocks so that you can get used to callsigns. See, I don't use the moves name itself, I use letters so that when we battle another trainer or Pokemon they can not know exactly how to retaliate until they learn what each call sign means. So first, use your Tackle on that tree over there, but instead of calling it Tackle, I will say A. So Mareep, A!" And with that Mareep charged at the tree and smacked into it. Blue did this for the next 2 hours, until he felt satisfied that Mareep knew the call sign.

"Alright, now Spark, that will be B. Sound good?" Mareep gave a solid nod, and once Blue yelled, "use B," Mareep enveloped itself with electricity and charged at the tree, hitting full force and sending electricity through the tree. Little did Blue, Mareep, Eevee, or Bulbasaur know was a Bellsprout was behind the tree resting, and the shock made it mad and it attacked. Taken off guard, Mareep was enveloped with vines and started to be squeezed.

"Bulbasaur, help with that Bellsprout!" Blue yelled while he ran towards Mareep, he began ripping the vines off Mareep while Bellsprout focused on Bulbasaur. It was fairly even, with both Pokemon being grass-type. Bellsprout realized Blue had freed Mareep, and in its anger nailed him with a very hard vine. Before anyone could react, Eevee used a Quick Attack on the Bellsprout, making it flee after the powerful hit.

"Eevee, you can't do that, it was so dangerous! You could of died!" Eevee looked at Blue, who had tears in his eyes. "I don't want to lose you Eevee, I love all of you guys, but you've been with me since my par-," before Blue finished the sentence he broke down. He had never cried about his parents death, but it all came out. He sat on the ground balling. All three of his Pokemon came and nuzzled him, trying to console him.

"Thanks guys, but we should continue training. Everyone is alright, I may have a bruise tomorrow, but whatever. You up for it Mareep? And maybe Bulbasaur might join in, get in some extra training?" Both Pokemon nodded, and with Eevee perched on his shoulder, Blue began shouting commands, and was confident for the future. He was scared, of course, but he knew his Pokemon trusted him and each other, and he trusted them, and they would make it through this league, no matter what.

Thank you guys for reading this second chapter of my story. I know Green wasn't in this Chapter, she will most likely be out for 2 or 3 more, but she may not be back as you expect. Guess you will have to wait. See you guys next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Pokemon, nor do I own any rights affiliated with Pokemon

Waking up the next day after the hard training and the Bellsprout incident, Blue could tell his Pokemon had grown both stronger and closer. He remembered Ethan telling him Falkner's requirement to challenge the gym, which was to clear Sprout Tower. While initially he thought this was a hassle, Blue realized his Pokemon's first official battle also being a gym battle may not be the best idea, and he quickly became excited for not only himself, but also his Pokemon. They had been excited to battle, or watch the battle in Eevee's case, since the training ended last night. Blue gave them all snacks on a really nice training session, which helped calm them down before bedtime.

"Alrighty guys, today we are going to Sprout Tower, and challenging the masters of it. It will be tough, but after yesterday's training, I believe we are ready. We will do our best, win or lose!" Blue put them in their pokeballs and casually walked towards the bridge. A guard there stopped him.

"Stop! I must check your Pokemon you will challenge the Masters with to see if you are worthy."

"Alright, Bulbasaur, Mareep, come on out!" The two Pokemon came out excitedly, not knowing why they were called out.

"What about your third? I see the pokeball."

"Oh, well my Eevee can not battle. It sustained a nasty injury a while ago."

"Fine, but if you are deceiving me, mercy will not be given. Anyway, I shall examine the two you will battle with." The guard brought out a device he used to scan them. Blue watched closely so the man did not overstep any boundaries. The man would occasionally make a comment, such as, "impressive," or, "interesting." Blue did not know whether he should take these as compliments or as, well, something else. Obviously not insults but he didn't really know.

"Alright, continue on. The Master's test is different for everyone, so be cautious and march on." He said this with such an air of authority Blue immediately walked over the bridge, almost as if it were an obligation at this point. Furthermore, Blue wondered how it differed for everyone. Shaking the unpleasant thought from his head, Blue arrived at the giant, wooden doors, cracked for, albeit barely, an entrance to the tower. Stepping inside, Blue was filed with an ominous feeling of dread. This building was so old that it just felt dead inside. Blue noticed a stairway, which he approached cautiously. Once there, he found that it spiraled up all 10 floors of the tower. Blue began to ascend the creaky stairs, knowing danger may loom at any floor, but so far the rooms were clear of any sign of danger, and Blue continued on. Once reaching the top, the atmosphere had changed. The walls were vibrant, yet worn by countless battles. The mood felt oddly friendly despite the hostile look of the floor as a whole. Looking around, Blue realized many older people, both men and women, were sitting against the walls. At the far end of the room was a single man in a darker green robes, much different than the white robes the others were wearing.

"And here is the second challenger. And another young one at that." The green-robed-man at the end had stood up and had begun pacing towards Blue.

"Second?"

"Yes, the other boy has been waiting for you."

"What other boy?" After the question, Ethan came from a side room on the floor. He looked intense, ready for what was obviously about to happen.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?"

"Well," he answered, "the Grand Master here said that my challenge was to battle the next trainer that came to challenge the Tower. That said trainer is you, and only one of us passes this challenge. I said we would battle soon Blue."

"Alright kids," the Grand Master intervened, "the battle will be two-on-two and the winner can challenge Falkner, the other must wait a day for the next challenge. With that said, the trainer named Ethan, please go to the far box, Blue was it? Well, go over to the box close to you, over to the right." Blue made his way to the box, watching Ethan, apparently his opponent, make his way to his respective box. Blue let Eevee out, who quickly made his way to Blue's shoulder. The two trainers faced each other, both intense and ready, and threw their pokeballs into the air.

"Go Mareep," Blue shouted.

"Go get 'em Teddiursa!" Blue had heard of Teddiursa, the small bear cub that evolves into the giant beast that is Ursaring. Teddiursa looked ready, and pretty strong too.

"Alright Mareep, hit it with B!" Ethan, confused, told Teddiursa to block, but as soon as Mareep made contact with the small Pokemon, it was enveloped by powerful electricity. Teddiursa was knocked back a few yards, and while it was stumbling to get back up, Mareep attack again. "Use B again."

"Hurry and use dig," Ethan shouted. The Teddiursa, as quickly as it could, dug underground.

"Surround yourself with electricity Mareep." Blue had a counter, but it may also knock Mareep out. Mareep had sparks flying out of its wool from the raw electricity it had begun holding. Teddiursa was looking for a blind spot on Mareep, and it noticed Mareep was looking left, so it came from the right and slammed into Mareep. Mareep, while sustaining this massive damage, let the electricity go, most of it hitting Teddiursa. Mareep tumbled to the ground, as did Teddiursa. Both Pokemon stumbled for a bit, then Teddiursa collapsed, while Mareep's legs were shaking and it looked weak.

"Return Teddiursa. You did good."

"Come on back Mareep, don't push yourself too much." Blue recalled Mareep, knowing that it could still battle, but it was risky. He threw out Bulbasaur and awaited Ethan's choice.

"This is interesting Blue. You see, I chose Chikorita, which was out grass starter choice. So this match will truly decide who is the better trainer." And after his words, he threw out a pokeball, which released the grass-type Johto starter. The two pokemon eyed each other carefully. Neither trainer wanted to make the first move, each wanting to see the power the other contained.

"Alright, we shall go first. Hit 'em with a Tackle attack Chikorita," Ethan calmy said. Blue watched as the Chikorita gained speed towards Bulbasaur, waiting.

"Trip it now." Bulbasaur quickly thrust some vines and before Chikorita could slow down, Bulbasaur tripped it. The Pokemon fell on its face and began rolling. "Now hit it with A." Bulbasaur slammed into Chikorita while it was rolling and greatly damaged it. "While it is stumbling, now is our chance! Hit it with a C, then another A," Blue said all of his commands with such an air of authority that his Pokemon subconsciously gained confidence. Bulbasaur had just mastered this move during training, and it commanded the leaves the fly towards Chikorita. The Razor Leaf wasn't supposed to do much damage, but it would hinder Chikorita for enough time.

"Chikorita, it is coming in for another attack, get out of the way," Ethan screamed in realization. As Chikorita feebly tried to run away, Bulbasaur slammed into it's side. The Chikorita cried from pain as the hit landed, and Bulbasaur stood victorious.

"Blue is the winner of the challenge. When you decide to challenge Falkner, present him with this ticket to prove your victory," the Grand Master said as he handed Blue a violet ticket with a sketch of the Sprout Tower on it. "That was well fought, and your style of battling is unique, it was a pleasure to watch."

"Thank you, sir," Blue said with a slight bow. Bleu walked towards Ethan, who looked upset, but not distraught. "That was a great battle man, can't wait till next time."

Ethan slowly raised his head to show a bright smile. "Same, but I'll be tougher."

"So will I Ethan, see you then." And with that, Blue walked down the stairs and back to the pokemon center. With Eevee at his side, and his pokemon deserving of some healing and some rest, Blue felt like his journey in Johto was finally about to start.

Thank you guys for reading my third chapter. I had fun writing the battle, and as Blue catched more Pokemon and they get stronger, the battles will go more in depth. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, I love this fic and I hope all of you do too. See ya next chapter.


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